3rd Annual Hoolaulea at Honolulu Community College

It’s been three years since the start of Honolulu Community College’s Ka Māla o Niuhelewai (The garden of Niuhelewai) and the kalo (taro) is ready for harvest. Every April the campus celebrates the māla with the campus’ annual Hoʻolauleʻa, Wednesday, April 16, 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m.

Event participants will enjoy food prepared in an imu, poi pounding activities and live Hawaiian music.

Since 2011, 20 Hawaiian varieties of kalo have been planted and the campus received a $25,000 grant from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to plant Hawaiian varieties of kalo in a dry land māla.

“Ka Māla o Niuhelewai, has been an instrumental hands-on venue for students, faculty, staff and the community in supporting the Hawaiian understanding of sustainable mālama ʻāina application for producing food for Hawaiʻi,” shares Mark Alapaki Luke, a Hawaiian studies instructor.